Marking its 70th anniversary, Lotus held a spectacular event to commemorate the significant milestone of founder Colin Chapman’s first Lotus, built in 1948.
The home of Lotus in Hethel hosted 8,000 Lotus owners and enthusiasts from all over the world, as well as 1,600 Lotus cars of all eras. From the Team Lotus F1 race cars to the rally Sunbeam Lotus, Lotus Cortina all the way to the present line-up of Evora, Exige and Elise, there were Lotus road and competition cars of all ages present.
Group Lotus Plc’s CEO Mr. Feng Qingfeng presented the company’s vision to the crowds present and viewers online. As well as leading the anniversary track procession, he also personally revealed two bespoke Lotus Exclusive Evora GT410s, both in heritage livery.Speaking at the event, Group Lotus Plc’s CEO, Mr. Feng Qingfeng said: “Today has been an amazing day of celebration. To have met so many Lotus owners and enthusiasts, and understand their passion for our brand is truly inspiring. We are committed to our home in Norfolk, and there’s no place better to gather and remember what Lotus stands for and what makes it so special as a leading automotive marque. To have so many of our cars return home has really made the day, and I’d like to thank everyone for their help and
support, both now and in the future, as we grow and develop the business.”

As the company prepares for the culmination of its 70th celebrations, Lotus has unveiled the latest stage in its investment plan, which will see the 100 acre site undergo extensive development and renovation work.
With a new Customer Experience Centre, Heritage Centre and Museum designed by architects Feilden+Mawson and submitted for planning, the British marque has outlined a bold vision for its future at the famous Hethel facility, its home for over 50 years. The plans were unveiled just ahead of the company’s 70th celebrations in Norfolk, marking the anniversary of the founding of Lotus by engineering genius Colin Chapman.

Calling on enthusiasts, collectors and car hunters worldwide, Lotus needs your help in tracking down the long-lost Lotus Mark I, the first car built by company founder Colin Chapman.
As the British marque continues its 70th celebrations, it wants fans from around the world to pick up the trail of the most elusive Lotus ever – the competition car that the young engineer hand-built in a small London garage owned by his then girlfriend’s parents. Overcoming the standard car’s limitation Chapman applied innovative approaches to improve its performance in challenging trials competitions.
Despite its existence being well documented, the current whereabouts of the Mark I remain a mystery. Built by Chapman, with the help of friends and his girlfriend (who later became his wife), Hazel, he entered a number of events in 1948 with immediate success. However, Colin was constantly innovating, and was soon hard at work on the Mark II. The first car was sold in November 1950 but, from there, the car’s trail goes cold. Despite much research over the years, its whereabouts have never been established.

LOTUS 70TH 29TH SEPTEMBER - ORDER A SIGNED COPY OF "A LIFE IN CAR DESIGN" BY OLIVER WINTERBOTTOM

An Opportunity to order a copy of the book A Life in Car DesignJaguar Lotus TVR
By Oliver Winterbottom

Signed by the author

A copy will be available to inspect at the Lotus 70 Anniversary at Hethel on the Club Lotus stand where orders will be taken.
Oliver will be in attendance during the day at the Club Lotus stand (exact attendance times will be available on the day).

The books will be mailed out and payment taken within 14 days

Oliver was with Lotus from 1971 to 1998
(with a couple of short absences & time at JCL Marine)

Group Lotus PLC is delighted to announce the appointment of Phil Popham as Senior Vice-President – Commercial Operations for Group Lotus and CEO – Lotus Sports Cars, effective from 01 October 2018. Phil will report to Group Lotus plc CEO, Mr Feng Qingfeng. Phil joins Lotus from Sunseeker International where he held the role of CEO for four years. Prior to Sunseeker, he was part of the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) executive team for 9 years with global responsibility for commercial operations.

The arrival of Phil Popham is the latest in a series of high level appointments at Lotus, from both the global automotive industry and from within Lotus. A new business and operating structure has been put in place and the Lotus business is now set for the next stage of its future growth and global expansion.

Mr Feng Qingfeng welcomes Phil to Lotus, “I am delighted that Phil has joined Lotus at this important time in our 70 year history. We are growing the Lotus business not only at our Headquarters in Hethel, Norfolk but also worldwide so the foundations are laid to become a globally competitive brand and a well recognised leader in the sports car market.”

Phil Popham said, “I have spent my career working with, and have a passion for famous British luxury, high tech and pioneering brands and Lotus, with its amazing history, definitely fits into that category. I am looking forward to being part of the team that will drive the substantial future growth of the Lotus business.”

Joining the celebrations for one of the world’s most iconic sports car manufacturers, the widow of company founder Colin Chapman has personally approved the 100,000th Lotus, as part of the marque’s 70th anniversary celebration.

Hand built on the same site that Hazel Chapman helped establish, the Jim Clark Trust special edition Lotus Evora GT410 Sport is the 100,000th Lotus built and a milestone in the iconic British company’s history.

Reviewing the car for the first time with her son Clive Chapman, Hazel Chapman said: “70 years ago, I never dreamt that there would be a 100,000th Lotus. I’m immensely proud of the company and Colin’s legacy. Today Lotus still builds such fantastic sports cars and I’m touched to be able to see the 100,000th car.” The Evora continues a lineage of lightweight car design that can trace its roots back to the very first Lotus - an ethos that drives the company to optimise mass and aerodynamics in order to maximise performance and handling.

Oliver Winterbottom will have a stall in the Market Place selling his book A Life in Car Design, Jaguar Lotus TVR and he will be happy to sign customers copies. Come and join the crowds enjoying over 650 Classic Cars

The competition to win the 100,000th Lotus built has been launched in aid of the Jim Clark Museum.

In a fitting tribute to one of the most successful racing drivers of all time, the Jim Clark Trust has launched a competition to win the 100,000th Lotus sports car built - a one-off Jim Clark Special Edition Lotus Evora GT410 Sport. Enter the competition now at www.jimclarklotus.com

Commissioned in honour of the 50th anniversary of 1968, this ultimate prize for enthusiasts was unveiled by the Duke of Richmond, a Patron of the Trust, with Group Lotus Chief Executive Feng Qingfeng and Trustees of the charity at the world famous Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The competition to help raise funds to support plans for a new Jim Clark Museum is now live online at www.jimclarklotus.com, offering participants the chance to win a truly landmark special edition Lotus Evora GT410 Sport. It costs just £20 to enter, with the winner to be announced at the opening of the new Jim Clark Museum in Duns, Scotland, in summer 2019.
Proudly supporting the Trust, the British sports car manufacturer Lotus has designated the Jim Clark Special Edition its 100,000th car to celebrate the motoring racing legend, and production of the unique model coincided with Lotus’ 70th anniversary celebrations at this year’s Festival of Speed.
His Grace the Duke of Richmond commented, “It’s fantastic to see the crowds here at the Festival of Speed so engaged and excited to remember Jim Clark and celebrate his achievements in our Silver Jubilee year. The stunning Jim Clark Special Edition Evora is a fitting tribute to a legendary man and his iconic Elan. Clark’s exploits on track were very special indeed and we are proud to launch this competition here at Goodwood.”
Inspired by the red Lotus Elan S2 driven by Clark in the 1960s, registration number 997 NUR, the new Evora GT410 Sport has been hand built at Lotus’ Hethel site – the home of the company for the last 50 years. Echoing the original car’s colour scheme, with red paintwork, a silver roof and silver wheels, plus tartan upholstery, it commemorates the legacy of one of motorsport’s most enduring figures. The car also carries Clark’s signature on each rear buttress.
Entrusted to the Formula 1 World Champion by Lotus founder Colin Chapman, the first production Lotus Elan S2 (type 26, Chassis 001) was Clark’s company car, and he regularly made the commute from the racing team’s then base in Cheshunt, just outside London, to his family home in Duns, in the Scottish Borders. A trip of roughly 350 miles each way, Clark clocked up around 15,500 miles in a year, leaving the car with the team when he was away racing.
Launched in Lotus’ 70th year, the stunning Evora GT410 Sport is a winning blend of raw ability and style. Drawing from its more potent stablemate, the Evora GT430, it incorporates many high-performance elements yet retains a subtler, understated profile. The Evora GT410 Sport is powered by a specially calibrated and tuned higher-output version of Lotus’ supercharged, 3.5-litre 6-cylinder engine. With an integrated water-to-air charge cooler, it produces 410 hp at 7000 rpm and 420 Nm of torque from 3500 rpm, allowing the Evora GT410 Sport to sprint from 0-60 mph in just 3.9 seconds.
Continuing a lineage of lightweight car design, that can trace its roots back to Clark’s 1960’s Elan S2 and beyond, the development of the Evora GT410 Sport allowed Lotus the opportunity to optimise mass, resulting in a lightest possible dry weight of just 1,256 kg. Standard carbon fibre composite components include the front access panel, roof panel and a one-piece louvred tailgate with integrated spoiler, as well as the elements within the front air blade system and rear wheel exit ports. In keeping with Lotus’ philosophy of maximising aerodynamics to match the car’s personality, the GT-class coupe generates up to 96kg of downforce, providing better handling and stability at high speeds.
Chair of The Jim Clark Trust Ben Smith commented, “Over the past five years we have been delighted to see the plans for a new Jim Clark Museum become a reality, and are extremely grateful for the support of Scottish Borders Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund and thousands of public donations. The build programme for the new £1.6m museum with space for two cars began in early July and is estimated to take 12 months. We are excited to announce this new fundraising competition to win the Jim Clark Special Edition Lotus Evora, which will help to realise the vision of an extension to increase the numbers of cars on display and promote heritage, education and inspiration for future generations. Best of luck to everyone who enters.”

This brilliant news only broke in mid-July and some of the details are still being formulated by Lotus. The date is Saturday September 29th and planned attractions include a selection of Classic Team Lotus cars courtesy of Clive, demonstration drives on the Hethel track and numerous side stalls for entertainment and enjoyment. The factory will be open for visitors as will the design studios and Classic Team Lotus. Club Lotus will have a stand and the new management team from Lotus will naturally be there together with many other important Lotus personalities. As more details become available we’ll post them on our website as well as in all area bulletins and we also suggest that you all keep an eye on the main Lotus website for the latest news - www.lotuscars.com

We were very shocked and greatly saddened to learn of the untimely death of Bobby Bell who founded Bell & Colvill with Martin Colvill in 1970. Bobby died on Monday 13th November in what appears to have been a tragic accident at his home in Surrey. Club Lotus sends our sincere condolences to Bobby’s widow Aline and her family as well as to Martin Colvill and all at Bell & Colvill. A full obituary will appear in Club Lotus News January 2018.

China’s largest privately-owned automotive group, Zhejiang Geely Holding, has agreed to a deal that will hand it the majority stake in Lotus.
The Chinese group – which also owns the London Taxi Company and Volvo – will also take a 49.9 per cent share in Lotus’ current parent, Malaysian company Proton. The binding heads of agreement announced on 24th May today is between Geely’s holding company and the current umbrella for Proton/Lotus, DRB-HICOM.

Lotus new car registrations up by 60% for 2015 compared to 2014
Seven new dealers appointed in 2015
New models launched with great success including the new Evora 400, Lotus Elise Sport and Elise Sport 220 and new Lotus Exige Sport 350
In 2015, 375 Lotus cars were registered in the UK compared to 235 in
2014 - the best registration figures achieved by Lotus in the UK since
2010. Seven new Lotus dealerships were appointed in 2015 in the UK
including two showrooms in London, the first time Lotus has had a
presence in London since 2009. Lotus now has 16 dealers in the UK with
more planned over the next 12 months.
Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Group Lotus plc, stated, “These are excellent
sales results and prove definitively that Lotus is back! I would like to
thank our excellent dealer and service network in the UK and all our
staff. I would also like to thank all our customers have both passion
and desire for Lotus sports cars and know what it is like to own a pure,
lightweight and high performing sports car.”
The UK is not the only key market for Lotus to have seen an increase in
sales, with other European markets including Germany, France and Italy
also recording substantial growth in 2015. Globally, Lotus’ has
increased the number of dealerships to 202 from 138 in May 2014.

Well known Lotus
specialists Hangar 111 have recently been appointed as an Official Lotus
Service Centre. This follows many months of evaluation and inspections
by Lotus and after almost 14 years of serving the Lotus community Hangar
111 are proud to become closely affiliated with the sports car maker
that they have always held so dear.

What does this mean?

The
main benefit is to customers. An authorised Lotus Service Centre
receives full factory technical support, access to the full Genuine
Parts range and the latest Technical Bulletins for newer vehicles. As a
Lotus Service Centre Hangar 111 are also able to carry out those
all-important warranty and recall items that may affect more recent
vehicles.

Increase in power of 10 PS
New lightweight louvered tailgate and front access panel
Lotus Motorsport redefines the Exige V6 Cup with the introduction of the Exige 360 Cup. New lightweight panels and an increase in power mean the Lotus Motorsport Cup model continues to provide a benchmark in handling and performance.

Hangar 111 is offering a Free Geometry check with services in August and September, call them now on 01473 811811 to book!

They can also offer Rover PG-1 Gearbox Upgrades with their new, upgraded synchromesh ring sets.The original Rover synchros are prone to premature wear under stress but their uprated items feature a carbon lining to give
maximum durability, along with accurate and smooth shifting in all conditions. Sold as a complete gearbox set, they are a direct replacement for the original parts.

Williams are celebrating 20 years as a Lotus dealer and the 20th anniversary of the Elise with an open day and party between 10:30 am –3.00 pm on August 8th at their showroom in Chipping Sodbury near Bristol.

The quickest production Lotus road car ever
Dramatic, all-new lightweight composite body
Two versions, Road and Race, both developed through Lotus Motorsport

Heralding a new generation of Lotus high performance sports cars, today saw the unveiling of the company’s quickest and most expensive series production car ever, the 3-Eleven, at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Co-location of Lotus Cars USA. Inc, to Lotus Engineering. Inc, in Ann Arbor, MI to support growth
First deliveries of New Lotus Evora 400 in USA and Canada in December 2015
Expansion of the Lotus dealer network

The introduction of the Lotus Evora 400, as a 2017 North American Model Year, marks the start of a fresh period in Lotus’ presence in this vital market. The previous model Evora already received positive acclaim from media, customers and dealers alike and reaffirmed Lotus as the maker of some of the finest, purest, most lightweight and most efficient sports cars sold today.

Lotus Cars is delighted to welcome Hexagon Lotus as its new brand representative in prestigious South Kensington, London.
Hexagon is not new to Lotus having been a Lotus dealer from 1964 to 1976. Their reintroduction offers customers two Lotus dealerships in London, from their Headquarters in East Finchley as well as South Kensington.

The iconic Lotus Seven has been shortlisted as one of the best British cars ever. The Seven is one of 10 cars on the list put together by Classic & Sports Car after consulting a jury of 100 experts including Gordon Murray, Nick Mason and many more.
Now the magazine has thrown the vote open to the public and whichever car has received the most votes by August 1 will be declared the winner and be revealed at Classic & Sports Car – The London Show at Alexandra Palace from 30 October to 1 November.

Lotus Cars have an abundance of spare parts that are now being sold on eBay. Parts are being uploaded daily and at low prices and they vary from radios to cylinder heads, from the first Lotus Elise MK1 to the latest Evora.

The new Lotus Evora 400 is the latest pure and focused supercar from Lotus, combining high performance with the legendary Lotus benchmark handling. It is faster and dynamically more capable than the previous Lotus Evora leading to greater agility and a more involving drive.

Group Lotus plc has announced the appointment of Dave Marler as Chief Engineer, Vehicle Test and Development for Lotus Cars. Dave, who has been with Lotus for 17 years, previously held the role of Chief Engineer, Development and CAE (Computer – Aided Engineering) for Lotus Engineering. He brings to his new role a depth of knowledge and experience in vehicle development, testing, durability and quality, gained on a number of high profile and confidential projects within Lotus Engineering and Lotus Cars. As an engineer, Dave has worked on all Lotus cars since the Lotus Elise S2 in 2001.

Group Lotus plc announces the appointment of Russell Carr as Head of Design for Lotus. Russell joined Lotus in 1990 and in that time has worked on many of the designs produced by Lotus. Russell replaces Donato Coco who leaves Lotus on the 31st of October 2014.

LoTRDC November Snetterton Sprint – open to all LoTRDC will be holding a
standalone sprint at Snetterton on Saturday 1 November, on the final
day of its 2014 season. The sprint will form part of a special Lotus
day at the Norfolk circuit, which is situated less than 15 miles from
the Hethel factory. The final round of the Lotus Cup UK and Elise Trophy
championships will also take place on the day, with the Lotus Cup UK
SuperSport and Production titles both being decided under cover of
darkness at the climax of an extended two-hour race. The sprint is open
to all Lotus cars, with three classes running on the day. In addition
to the Lotus Cup UK Speed Championship’s SuperSport and Production
classes, there will be an invitation category for other Lotus cars. The
sprint course will run on the Snetterton 300 circuit, from the start
line on the Senna Straight and ending at two-thirds distance of the
Bentley Straight. The combination of fast and slow corners will provide a
thrilling challenge to enthusiastic drivers. Entrants can enjoy parade
laps and a pitwalk on the day, and, of course, the chance to perform in
front of a crowd of Lotus enthusiasts. There will be the opportunity
for everyone who attends in a Lotus to take part in a parade lap around
the circuit. Drivers will have two practice runs in the morning,
followed by three timed runs after lunch. Entries cost just £110 per
driver and can be made by visiting www.lotrdc.com/forms/lotus-cup-uk-speed-championship-fees-forms-2014-11544/

A one-off LoTRDC sprint has been added to the bill at Snetterton on 1 November (photo courtesy of Derek Partridge)

Lotus owners are invited to take part in this low-cost form of motorsport (photo courtesy of Derek Partridge)

The sprint joins the bill at the LoTRDC finals meeting, which includes a
two-hour Lotus Cup UK race into the night (photo courtesy of
Snappyracers)

Fabio Randaccio and Craig Denman shared the race wins at the Lotus Festival on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit. The event included Formula 1 and rally demonstrations, club displays and a trade village.

This summer 81 Lotus Exige S cars will receive a Lotus F1® Team inspired livery and interior trim to commemorate the number of grand prix victories held by the Lotus marque*.
Delivering race-car thrills on the road and track, the critically acclaimed supercharged 3.5l V6 Exige S is well known for its focussed dynamic performance, now, with a striking bespoke black and gold paint scheme with red accents and gold 17” front and 18” rear cast alloy wheels, the Exige LF1 leaves no doubt as to its heritage or indeed to its intention!

PROTON Holdings Berhad (“PROTON”) today announced the appointment of Jean-Marc Gales as the new Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus plc, effective 1 May 2014. Lotus is a wholly owned subsidiary of PROTON and a member of the DRB-HICOM Group

Its that wonderful time of year, full of joy and laughter, where sleigh bells ring and carol singers sing. We are getting in the festive spirit with a spectacular seasonal sale of up to a sledge stopping 50% discount!
There is something for everyone, from affordable stocking fillers and retro sweatshirts to iconic Lotus F1® Team replica team wear and high end collectables.
Avoid the crowds and shop online from today at www.lotusoriginals.com
Sale ends 1st February 2014
ENTER THIS CODE AT CHECKOUT
4XG6NM15SH419C44741ED9SBFW

This discount code substitutes your existing discount code from 2nd
December until 1st February 2014.

Tony Mitchell would be interested to know of any club members going to Angouleme, particularly if they are going from Portsmouth on the overnight ferry on Wednesday 18th September. He would like to meet up with fellow members. Please contact jane@clublotus.co.uk and I will forward your details onto Tony

Bell & Covill welcome the return of Scott Walker to join Jamie Matthews in our Lotus Sales Team. Many may remember Scott as a passionate enthusiast who originally joined Bell & Colvill back in 1999. Scott's passion for the Lotus marque no doubt helped maintain Bell & Colvill's number one status for new Lotus sales in the UK.

Top Gear magazine has shortlisted the 1996 Lotus Elise in its quest to find the greatest car of the last 20 years. It is an online vote that will take place in the run up to the 20th anniversary edition of the
magazine. If you agree that the Elise deserves to be recognised as one of the greatest cars of the last 20 years, then please go to www.topgear.com/20years and place your vote!
Since its launch in 1996, the Lotus Elise has become one of the most loved and iconic Lotus cars of all time. We have built over 30,000 Elise cars in 17 years, that's over 33% of the Lotus' entire production!
The success of the Elise is not just down to its purist dynamic characteristics or it's cool looks; you petrolheads out there will appreciate just how clever the car is too! From its pioneering bonded and
extruded aluminium chassis to it's composite crash structure, the Elise was the catalyst for a new generation of performance through light weight and enabled other premier niche vehicles to exist such as the Opel Speedster / Vauxhall VX220, all of the current Aston Martin range, the Tesla Roadster, Lotus' own Exige, Elise 340R, Europa, 2-Eleven and even the Lotus Evora.

MEET LOTUS F1 TEAM DRIVERS ROMAIN GROSJEAN AND DAVIDE VALSECCHI AT THE LOTUS ORIGINALS STORE, LONDON 26TH JUNE

In celebration of the start of the British Grand Prix, Scalextric and Corgi will showcase The Lotus Collection that includes Corgi’s new 1:43 scale die-cast Lotus cars and the ever popular 1:32 scale Scalextric slot cars that include the Team’s 2012 and 2013 livery. Lotus F1 Team drivers Romain Grosjean and Davide Valsecchi will be available at the event for you to meet. The event will take place at the Lotus Originals Store, 52 Regent Street, London W1B 5DX (Glasshouse Street entrance) on Wednesday 26th June 2013 from 16:00-17:00.

We’re
very pleased to announce April 20th/21st as the dates for our 2013 Club
Lotus Show at Donington and also to be back in our traditional April
slot. The hall has been completely refurbished during 2012 and as well
as a new coat of paint there’s a new restaurant, bar, toilets, heating
and wiring -you’ll hardly recognise the old place..!

We’re
very pleased to announce April 20th/21st as the dates for our 2013 Club
Lotus Show at Donington and also to be back in our traditional April
slot. The hall has been completely refurbished during 2012 and as well
as a new coat of paint there’s a new restaurant, bar, toilets, heating
and wiring -you’ll hardly recognise the old place..!

We’re
very pleased to announce April 20th/21st as the dates for our 2013 Club
Lotus Show at Donington and also to be back in our traditional April
slot. The hall has been completely refurbished during 2012 and as well
as a new coat of paint there’s a new restaurant, bar, toilets, heating
and wiring -you’ll hardly recognise the old place..!

We’re
very pleased to announce April 20th/21st as the dates for our 2013 Club
Lotus Show at Donington and also to be back in our traditional April
slot. The hall has been completely refurbished during 2012 and as well
as a new coat of paint there’s a new restaurant, bar, toilets, heating
and wiring -you’ll hardly recognise the old place..!

Please download the latest Lotus Aftersales parts sale list which has recently been released to the Lotus Dealer network. Please note the new list replaces any previously released sales list and any customer inquiries/orders need to be placed directly through the Lotus dealer network. Your local or preferred Lotus dealer will be pleased to quote prices and availability.

Raw performance, agility, unparalleled ride and handling and mind blowing drive experience, these attributes are what people have come to expect from Lotus. And we don’t like to disappoint. After months of media speculation Group Lotus is proud to announce the latest addition to the family: the extraordinary new Exige S, the ultimate lightweight high performance sportscar.

Ask anyone to define Lotus in recent years and most people will hold up the Lotus Elise as a perfect example of exactly what makes Lotus such a firm favourite in the hearts and mind of sportscars enthusiasts.

CALLING ALL GIRLS and boys - September 5th will see the Savoy Hotel play host to a very special celebration, the 65th birthday of THE HERO, the late, great Freddie Mercury.

DEAR FRIENDS of Freddie will unite in GOOD COMPANY at Freddie’s FLASH birthday bash which is set to be ‘a unique night of comedy and rock and roll’ as the climax to this year’s Freddie For A Day. The highlight of the night will be an auction to raise funds for the Mercury Phoenix Trust, the HIV AIDS charity set-up in his honour by band mates Brian May, Roger Taylor and Queen manager Jim Beach after the singer’s death in 1991.

Ken Savage heads to Donington next weekend (13/14 August) keen to build on his lead at the top of the Lotus Cup UK Championship table. The Production class driver, who is also competing with great success in the Elise Trophy this year, has scored several class victories and leads Steve Quick by 11 points at the halfway stage of the season. With last year’s Elise Trophy round at the East Midlands circuit cancelled whilst it awaited refurbishment, only Savage has race experience here in a Lotus and will be aiming to use this to his advantage.

The first in a new series of Lotus-motorsport based programmes airs on Motors TV from this week. Expanding on the popular transmissions featuring LoTRDC races, the new format incorporates additional content in a new magazine show. With a new presenter and much more variation in the content, the show promises a fresher and more entertaining programme than seen previously.

Piper-Heidsieck is delighted to announce it will be the exclusive champagne sponsor of the Elise Trophy during the 2011 racing season. The popular and vibrant champagne brand has agreed a twelve month sponsorship deal including support of the winner's podium offering first, second and third placed drivers bottles of their multi-award winning champagne.

Lotus Aftersales are holding a spring sale of various classic parts and accessories and a list of these is here.

The majority of these are for Esprit, Elise S1 and S2, Elan M100, 340R and Excel but there are a few items for Elite, Elan and Europa so have a look and see if there's anything you need. You can choose to collect your parts from either Lotus Aftersales on Saturday March 19th of from your local dealer.

The new production Range Extender that has been designed by Lotus Engineering together with Fagor Ederlan will be exhibited at the 81st International Motor Show in Geneva.

The production Lotus Range Extender is an extremely compact, lightweight, low-cost engine and generator, designed specifically for hybrid electric vehicles. The initial concept engine was fitted to the Jaguar Limo Green research vehicle and this new version has been redesigned by Lotus Engineering and Fagor Ederlan to optimise performance and develop the engine for series production.

The Evora customised in collaboration with Mansory is an “Individualisation Concept Car”. It showcases the scope of future Lotus customisation projects and will act as a test-bed for a new individualisation strategy by Lotus. This strategy will result in a cutomisation programme that is largely based on customer feedback and will reflect our new market-driven approach of developing and designing cars.

This cutting-edge enhanced version of the HALOsonic safety system incorporates input from imaging sensors to enhance the quality of the sound synthesis system. HALOsonic has been developed specifically for electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, and will have its first public demonstration on the Lotus Engineering cutaway hybrid Evora 414Evolution exhibit at the 81st International Motor Show in Geneva.

Anyone harbouring under the misapprehension that Lotus might be moving away from performance through lightweight only needs to take a quick ride in the new 1.6 Lotus Elise Club Racer to know that’s definitely not the case. The bright engineers at Lotus put even the lightest of Lotus’ modern cars on a diet and managed to shed a further 24kg.

It’s our sad duty to report that Ron Hickman died in a Jersey hospital on Thursday morning, 17th February. He was 78 and had been unwell since suffering a fall last autumn and his health sadly deteriorated in recent weeks.

Ron will probably be best known to Lotus enthusiasts as the man who created the legendary Elan but he also played a key role in designing the revolutionary Type 14 Elite. The Elite’s glassfibre monocoque was a groundbreaking piece of design and established Lotus Cars as manufacturers of world beating sports racing cars.

Chris Sawyer, Executive Editor of US-based website Cars In Context, reflects upon this week’s developments in the dispute over the IPRs to the Team Lotus Trade Marks in an inciteful article on AROnline. Check out what he has to say here.

Lotus Renault GP’s latest signing takes on development role for Group Lotus

The iconic Senna name is once again united with Lotus as Bruno Senna signs with Lotus Renault GP as third driver and also becomes the latest ambassador for Group Lotus. Bruno’s test driving role with Group Lotus is very development focussed and will see him provide valuable input into all Lotus cars, both track and road.

Over the years, the Lotus Cup Race Series has developed into one of the most successful race series brands in the world, often with capacity grids of Elise, Exige, 2-Eleven and Europa race cars racing and jostling for position. Previously operated from several countries in Europe and Japan, the Lotus Cup has now expanded considerably to include the USA, UK and Eastern Europe.

Group Lotus and Proton are delighted with the outcome of yesterday’s hearing in which the Judge ordered a full trial of this matter to be heard as soon as possible given the proximity of the start of the new 2011 Formula 1™ season in a few weeks. The trial has been fixed at the English High Court for 21 March 2011.

February 2011 will mark the launch of new luxury lifestyle brand, Lotus Originals. Inspired by the Lotus DNA of innovation and design excellence, the debut collection is a range of performance outerwear, refined, luxury knitwear and leather goods that reflect the craftsmanship, heritage and spirit of Lotus. Lotus Originals will be exclusively available from the Lotus website (www.lotusoriginals.com) from February.

Three decades after his F1 debut in a Lotus, Former F1 World Champion Nigel Mansell OBE takes to the track in the Lotus Type 125. Lotus Motorsport are delighted to announce a new ambassador in the form of Nigel Mansell. Mansell will also complete the Type 125 test driver line-up as he joins fellow former F1 driver Jean Alesi and Lotus factory driver James Rossiter to put the F1 inspired customer race car through its paces at Yas Marina Circuit™ in Abu Dhabi this week.

Jean Alesi and James Rossiter put the F1 inspired race machine through its paces at the Autodromo di Vallelunga
Lotus’ F1 inspired customer race car, the Type 125, had its first official run out at the Italian track earlier this week as F1 legend Jean Alesi and Lotus factory driver James Rossiter completed over 200 kilometres during the two day test.

With the smallest budget, lightest and least powerful car on the grid, Team Elise Trophy finished in 46th place out of 84 starters and most importantly saw the chequered flag in the Dubai 24 Hours this weekend. The road legal 160bhp car of 2000 vintage is a regular in the club motorsport scene, having been driven by the likes of Martin Donnelly, Andy Green and Jake Humphrey.

In a world first for an automotive manufacturer, Lotus today unveiled an entire new product line up and introduced the world to the new Lotus lifestyle. At exactly 16.45 CET on September 30th 2010, via a live global webcast, surrounded by the world's press, Lotus made the ultimate statement of intent. Five new cars, two evolutions of existing models and a concept car. A flashy new website and a range of merchandise featuring not one, not two, but three separate clothing ranges. There's so much to take in that we thought we'd keep the post event words simple. We'll start by letting the man behind the vision do the talking; here's what Lotus CEO Dany Bahar had to say:

A New British Expression of Exclusivity
Look up elegant in the dictionary and you'll find variations on the following
1. dignified grace in appearance, movement, or behaviour
2. superb taste in design, style
3. something elegant; the ultimate refinement

Oh yes, here it is! There's still room for the Elise at Lotus but what a difference a decade or two makes. The Elise due for release in 2015 is a sexy, agile beast of a car. Finally the Elise comes of age.